Ghost of the Fobidden Jungle
by Gishin Jal
Summary: One stormy day, our heroes must find a way to save themselves from . . . boredom! This is a one-shot side story to my fic Legacy of Mar. TPL universe. Slight JxK. Happy Halloween!


Disclaimer: The characters of Jak and Daxter and all related things belong to Naughty Dog. I gain no profit, only personal enjoyment.

Ghost of the Forbidden Jungle

* * *

A clash of thunder rumbled over the mountains and down into the tiny village below. The rain continued to fall from thick grey clouds as wind blew the waves crashing onto the small village's rocky ledges. The whole day had been filled with rain, humidity, and had been stuck in the doldrums for a certain pair of young boys. Even running through the mud had lost its thrill. One boy in particular had gone for another method to cure the deadly illness known as boredom.

Daxter crawled his way beneath the bar stools and tables inside Old Ollie's tavern. The Fisherman's Hook was the only place for travelers to eat and sleep outside of the citizens' hospitality.

The young red-headed boy was only about eleven or twelve. He was just small enough to fit beneath the chairs and stools without bumping into anything. Daxter had tried to pull his best friend, Jak, along for the adventure, but he knew it to be a lost cause. Jak would not do anything that would make Uncle upset--within reason. Daxter guessed that trying to borrow a couple of drinks from the bar was beyond that reason, though he did not know why.

From what the young boy had seen, these were special drinks that the adults were keeping all to themselves because the kids were not allowed to have any fun. He had seen many times where the adults would jump around laughing and rough housing with each other.

"I tell you, there's something out there." A foreign accent broke through the quiet of the tavern. A woman sat down at the bar, her feet missing Daxter's head only by inches.

"I was out researching the effects of eco on the local wildlife when this 'thing' attacked me."

Daxter's attention was glued to this stranger's story. Maybe this was the answer to their problems. The boy jumped slightly when he felt something skitter across his hand. He relaxed when he saw it was a tiny mouse.

"Oh, what'd it look like?" Daxter recognized the voice of the village sculptor, Leo. Leo was an up and coming artist and went almost everywhere with his Muse. They had a strange relationship.

"I don't know, really." She paused to take a drink. "It was much too dark. Though I don't think I would have stuck around if it had been the middle of the afternoon. I could still make out the fangs and claws. It was very pale, though, almost as if it was moving too fast."

"Then you've seen it." Leo sounded smug.

"Seen what?"

"The Ghost."

"Ghost? What ghost?" The woman voiced the thoughts running through Daxter's mind. A ghost in Sandover? Why had he not heard of this until now? He had been living here long enough.

"It's been told that a young woman was betrayed and killed by her lover. He killed her and their son so he could be with another. The ghost is the woman out for revenge and to save her child."

"That's awful." She said sorrowfully. "But why would she attack me?"

"I don't know. Maybe she thought you were after her child."

Daxter sat there a few minutes more. It was a sad story, but it was not like anything could be done to change it. They were all dead already. When he realized that his friend Jak was still waiting for him at home, the red haired kid began to crawl through the chairs once more. The conversation was still going on and he continued listening for anything else about ghosts.

"Name's Leo, by the way. Are you staying in our little village long?"

"Oh, manners. My name's Seddy. I'm actually leaving in the morning back to Rock Village."

Daxter's ears picked up at the next statements.

"I can make these last few hours all the more memorable. I've got a studio on the other side of the village. I've actually got a piece I've been working on. You can inspire me, among other things."

"You are fresh aren't you?" She laughed, but did not seem offended in the least. She found it quite charming.

_Eww_. The kid was not stupid, nor was he deaf as they made a few kissy faces. Daxter quickened his movements and finally found himself on the other side of the bar staring straight at a pair of old, black, cracked leather boots.

"What're you doin' 'ere boy?" The old fisherman looked down at Daxter who laughed nervously.

"Er, I was just, uh, just lookin' for rats!" Young Daxter grabbed a furry critter that ran across the floor just before Ollie picked him up by the back of his shirt.

"Listen 'ere boy, you ain' got no business 'ere this time 'o night." The old fisherman carried his load across the floor and to the front door. Daxter was struggling and trying to make excuses to stay.

"Wait--I was--hey!" The kid found himself on the porch of the tavern.

"Now get yerself home." The old fisherman stood in front of the door as he watched Daxter climb to his feet. "On with yeh. Now." Ollie shook his head saying something about kids these days before turning around and getting out of the rain, slamming the door behind him.

"Party pooper." Daxter blew a raspberry before trudging off to Jak's house to get dry and warm.

-----

"Uncle's gone again, huh?" Daxter had changed into some of his friend's clothes as soon as he arrived. Jak's place was sparsely furnished though still more so than the other villagers' homes. Uncle was a traveler after all; he would have to bring back trinkets from his explorations to prove he had been there.

Jak nodded as he followed Daxter into the kitchen area.

"You've got nothin', buddy." The red haired kid was going through the food stores. "I tried to get you some stuff from Old Man Ollie, but he just doesn't believe in charity." Daxter sighed as he closed the cupboard. He turned to face Jak and found that his best friend was laughing silently at him.

"What?"

Jak threw a look of assumption at the other boy.

"That hurts, buddy, that hurts."

The night was a quiet one. The occasional clash of thunder pierced the night along with flashes of light, but the storm seemed as if it would soon break. Daxter sat against the windowsill next to Jak's lofted bed. As the clouds slowly began to break apart, the red haired one caught sight of the silver moon once or twice.

"Jak!"

There was a sound from the top of the lofted bed as Jak jumped from Daxter's yell. The blond one looked over the edge of the bed rubbing his forehead. Daxter grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry about that." Jak's quizzical gaze brought Daxter back to his newest discovery. "Ever heard of the ghost in the Forbidden Jungle?"

Jak shook his head.

"What'd you mean 'no'? Everybody's heard of the ghost!" Dax exclaimed. Jak gave him a skeptical look.

"It's been attackin' people at night. That geologist lady said she saw it and it went after her!" Seeing that he had his best friend's attention, Daxter continued, "We should go catch it! Old Green Face would have a yakow.

"The rain'll stop soon. The geologist said she saw it around midnight. We still have a couple of hours to get out there and get ready." Daxter had already walked down the stairs at the back of Jak's hut and was looking through Uncle's traveling gear.

When Jak stepped off the last step, Dax turned around holding an armful of ropes, pouches, bottles, and other questionable objects. The blond raised a bow at the other elf.

"Come on Jak! We haven't had a decent adventure in forever!" Daxter sent a pleading look to his best friend poking out his bottom lip to add to the affect. Jak never could resist Daxter's puppy eyes . . . .

Jak sighed deeply and went searching for more needed supplies. Nets would be useful.

"Yes!" The red head continued with his treasure hunt. Minutes later, the duo had the necessities: four lengths of rope, three fishing nets, five jars, two tarps, and eight stakes. They were hunting ghosts after all.

By the time the two of them left Jak's home, the rain had all but stopped. Just before they crossed the first bridge leading across Farmer Zeb's land, Jak halted causing Daxter to run into him.

"Hey, what's up?"

The blond turned around and looked back toward the main part of the village. He pointed over to the largest building in Sandover. Daxter followed his arm and realized what Jak was saying.

"Yeah, Keira would kill us if we left her out again."

The lights were still on down below the living quarters. Jak and Daxter made their way up the large steps and could hear sounds coming from the workshop and Keira's room. She was very much awake and working on her latest prize.

"Hey babe." Daxter appeared at Keira's elbow.

"Daxter!" Keira jumped scattering her tools across the floor. She turned to strangle the little brat only to find Jak already pulling him away.

"Um, hi, Jak." The girl could already feel her face growing warm. Things did not get much better when he flashed her a smile and nodded his greeting in return.

She stood there dumbly for a few more seconds before she cleared her throat and asked, "Uh, what are you guys doing here? It's a little late, you know?"

"We're just goin' on a little adventure and thought you might want to come along." Dax freed himself from Jak's grip and stepped forward again.

"What kind of adventure?" She asked accusingly. Knowing Daxter, it could be anything. Of course, with Jak going, it was bound to be okay, right?

"Only the scariest, most awesome adventure ever!" The red head raised his voice in excitement.

"Shh! Daxter, if Daddy catches you guys out here this late again, I'll be grounded for another week." Keira whispered harshly. Sure, Daxter would get in trouble too, and with Uncle gone most of the time, that left Jak in Samos' care . . . .

"Fine, fine." Dax folded his arms in front of himself. "Are you in or not?"

"Alright, I'll come, just be quiet!" The blue haired mechanic put away some of her tools and covered the scraps of metal she had been working on. She grabbed a couple of eco lanterns and stood next to the boys.

"I gather that you didn't bring any of these." Keira held out the lanterns. She handed one to Jak and the other to Daxter. Neither said a word. "I thought not."

Their journey began anew with the new adventurer. It was not long until the three of them were crossing the bridge to Farmer Zeb's land.

"What to know what I was working on?" Keira looked over to Jak as he moved the lantern about looking for any danger. He glanced at her to let her know he was listening. "It's something I'm calling the _A-Grav Zoomer_. A-Grav is short for anti-gravity. There are these little jets of air that are supposed to propel the zoomer and let it hover--just above the ground.

"Right now, I've got a plan for thermal power, but so far the tests haven't been too good. I was thinking eco might work, but I'd have to have some help." She left the statement open, hoping he would get the hint.

"I'd love to help out." Daxter was the one to answer instead. "What're you askin' him for anyway? I'm the main character of this gig."

"Right, Dax." Keira rolled her eyes.

Light was moving back and forth from before the pair. Jak was waving his lantern to gain their attention. They had arrived at the jungle's entrance.

-----

". . . creeping through the trees, mouth dripping with the blood and guts of its latest kill, the beast stalked its next prey." Daxter walked in front of the other two adventurers recounting a few monster stories he had up his sleeve for just such an occasion.

The jungle threw the sounds of insects and animals from tree to tree, bush to bush. Keira was beginning to wonder why she had agreed to this in the first place. In a second, she found herself stumbling over a tree root and tried to stay up right by clutching tightly to the object she was already clinging to.

Jak stopped, grabbing hold of his friend before she could fall to the ground.

_Oh yeah, that's why,_ Keira thought to herself. Once again, she felt her face heat up at the smile he sent her way. "I'm okay, Jak. Thanks."

" . . . and then the monster _crashed_ through the trees _ripping_ and _tearing_ at anything that moved!" Daxter was clearly enjoying himself. It was not helping Keira at all. Daxter's stories would not have been all that scary to begin with, but the jungle was awfully dark and there were an awful lot of eyes peeking through the trees right now . . . .

"Jak, maybe we should turn back." She whispered.

"Turn back?" The read haired one stopped in the middle of his story to find Keira clinging to his best friend.

"Not scared are you?"

"No!" Keira said defensively. "I just don't think this is a good idea. It's dangerous walking out here during the day let alone in the middle of the night."

"Uh-huh." Dax nodded. "How about you go running back to the village and me and Jak will find the ghost."

Keira thought about it, really she did. She wanted to go home. Truth be told, she was a little afraid of the dark. Not that she would let them know, of course. The young mechanic remained with the boys though. She really did not want to have to walk back to the village by herself.

Eventually, the small group set up camp somewhere near the river. It would still be a couple of hours until midnight. In the mean time, they had to devise a plan to capture the ghost.

"You mean you didn't think of this before?" Keira asked.

"Have you ever caught a ghost?" Daxter asked accusingly.

"Well, no, but-"

"I rest my case." Daxter continued drawing out his plan with a stick in the dirt. "I think it'll work."

"How? Won't it just go through the thing?"

"Who's in charge here?" Daxter demanded. "I'm the expert, I say it'll work!"

"Whatever." Keira shut her mouth after that. Sometimes, there just was not any point in arguing with a brick wall.

"Okay, Jak, you'll take this net and go to the opposite site of the river. When I give the signal, you throw it at the ghost-"

"A net? That's your big plan?" Keira interrupted.

"That's not the whole thing! Besides, it's a great plan." Daxter grumbled.

Jak stood between the two before any more arguing to happen. When they got the idea, the blond sat back down next to the small fire. The night was not chill, but it would save what little eco they had brought for the lanterns.

The rain had returned in the form of drizzle, but the moon still remained visible through the clouds. Jak and Keira had set up a tent using one of the tarps draped across a low branch. The stakes were a little difficult to place and at the end of the ordeal, they were both covered in mud.

The next two hours passed by slowly. So slowly that Daxter and Keira had fallen asleep inside the small tent. Jak was having a hard time remaining awake.

As the moon reached its highest point, a loud screeching noise echoed through the trees. All other sounds had stopped. Daxter and Keira bolted upright and Jak was fully awake.

"What was that?" Dax whispered loudly.

"Maybe it was a Lurker?" Keira asked fearfully.

Jak shook his head. It was something else. He had never heard a sound quite like that. It was almost sad, yet so full of pain. The noise came again, only this time it was deeper and repeated in short successions.

Everyone scrambled to their feet. Jak put out the fire and grabbed a net and some rope. He looked over to Daxter who was hugging himself with his eyes tightly closed.

"Now who's scared?" Keira asked with a slight smirk. That is, until the noise sounded again, this time much closer.

"Uh, buddy? You're not goin' through with the plan, are ya?" The red head watched as his best friend nodded and began walking off in the direction of the river. Quickly, Daxter grabbed a second net and some jars then followed with Keira and the lanterns behind.

"Jak, maybe we should go back to the village, like Keira said. It's too dangerous." Daxter's voice was in a high pitch.

Jak stopped immediately almost causing the others to fall behind him.

"Would you stop doing that? Sheesh." Daxter righted himself but jerked still when he saw the reason Jak had slammed on the breaks.

There before them, not fifteen feet away, stood the ghost. Dressed in whites and browns, there was an otherworldly glow as it stood in the moonlight. It looked wild almost as if it were part of the jungle. Twigs, leaves, and feathers were woven through its hair and clothing. They too were an eerie white.

The three onlookers were broken from their trance when the ghost belted out a sound so horrendous that they had to cover their ears. Jak had tried to back up slowly so as not to gain the ghost's attentions, but his foot caught on a low branch and he tumbled to the ground almost at the being's feet.

"_Jak!_" Keira whispered. She wanted to go after him, but her fear kept her rooted to the spot.

Jak opened his eyes and looked up to find the ghost looking down at him with blood red eyes. The blond scooted back quickly when the thing reached out for him. Just before it could touch him, both Daxter and Keira broke through the underbrush.

"Jak!" Daxter grabbed hold of Jak's right arm while Keira took the other. "Stay away from him you old ghost!"

Before there was a chance for anything more, the three adventurers were out of sight with Keira and Daxter screaming for their lives.

"Oh, those poor dears," came the reply from Tweetledov Perch, the Bird Lady. She was covered in mud and flour to change the coloring and hide her scent. "I was only creating the Night's Fleece's mating call. Such a rare bird."

-----

"Do you think we lost it yet?!" Daxter yelled.

"I don't know! Why don't you check?!" Keira answered back.

Daxter looked back as they kept running. He did not see any sign of the ghost, but what he did see was not much better.

"I think we lost it, but you're not gonna like what took its place!"

Keira looked back only to find a herd of Lurkers following in their wake.

"You're right, I don't like it!"

Jak knew that they would never be able to out run a full group of Lurkers. What were they going to do now? He looked ahead only to see a cliff wall. They were running toward a dead end. He pulled the two back before they could go any further. The Lurkers slowed down and the waiting started.

The blond stood before his two friends waiting for any sign of movement from the enemy. All that came were low growls of hunger.

One of the smaller Lurkers jumped forth without any warning. Jak was unprepared for the attack and was sent sprawling across the ground. Keira ran to see if Jak was alright. When she moved, the other Lurkers took it as a sign to feed. They leapt into the air only to be stopped when Daxter stood before them holding a long stick.

"B-Back off-f! I-I'm warning y-you!" The red head swung the stick in front of him wildly. A few more swings and he was surprised to see the Lurkers fleeing in utter fear.

"Yeah that's right! The Daxtinator means business!" He yelled after them. He smiled to himself. "I'm good."

"Daxter, let's go home before something else happens." Keira called over next to a seated Jak. The blond was okay if only slightly winded. He would definitely feel it in the morning.

"Did you see that? I scared those ugly beasts. They were all like . . . . " Thus Daxter's great inflated ego began.

Stuck within the treetops, no one in the group noticed their true savior. Her pale skin was the color of moonbeams and held a glow that rivaled the heavens. Her long darkened hair flowed in an abnormal wind as she looked on at the departing adventurers.

_Daxter. My Daxter,_ she thought with a saddened happiness. _You're alright. And you have a family. I am . . . glad. Stay safe, my brave little boy._

As the clouds rolled through the sky once more, the ghostly figure faded into the night.

* * *

A/N: I started this in July and it's just now getting posted. The is my first one-shot. I always find it harder to write a one-shot than a multi-chaptered fic because I always want to add something more to the story. For this one, I gave it a specific purpose. This is a side story to my fic _Legacy of Mar_. If you haven't read that one, you most definitely should. Anyway, this is an early Halloween treat. I hope you enjoyed it.


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